Ava rose. They were in another tunnel, larger than the first, but still not a significant amount of room to maneuver. And from what she could see with the light, it was long. Would there be another chamber with traps and puzzles? Or were there more sinister things hiding in the depths before them?
An icy breeze gusted from up ahead. Ava shivered. “I don’t like this,” she whispered.
Casimir came up beside her, taking her hand and squeezing in reassurance. “I don’t either.”
Another soldier volunteered to lead, though no one looked pleased about it, and they resumed their trek. It wasn’t long before the ground began to slope, as if they’d left the confines of the rocks on the surface and were now headed below. Deeper into the unknown.
“Is everything alright up there?”Ava asked Luna, afraid that if they got too far, they wouldn’t be able to communicate.
Yes. We’re keeping watch and taking turns hunting and napping. It’s quiet.
“Okay, good.”
The floor was smooth, no signs of any buttons or strange stones. In fact, the whole tunnel was uniform, no nicks or rocks sticking out. As it had been carved with care. Free of imperfections.
Ava didn’t like it one bit. It felt unnatural.Wrong.
The deeper they ventured, the colder the air became. Goosebumps peppered her arms as another breeze came from ahead, this one even colder than before.
“It’s so damned cold,” Raine whispered harshly.
“Is that ice?” one of the soldiers said from up front.
The group paused. “Where?” asked Casimir.
“On the ground. I swear there’s ice up ahead.”
Casimir pushed through and peered between the soldiers. “It is ice. The floor is very slippery. Step cautiously.”
Resuming their pace, they continued. Within minutes the entire tunnel was coated in ice, a thin layer sparkling in the torchlight. It was strangely beautiful, and Ava couldn’t help but run her fingers along the wall as she scuffled along.
The grade of the path was steeper now, and it took every effort not to slip and slide ahead.
“Shall I melt it?” asked Maeryn.
“Not a bad idea,” Casimir said. “If this gets any steeper, we’ll all fall.”
“Move back in case my efforts are not successful,” Maeryn ordered.
The group gave her a wide berth. Ava backed against the wall and watched with rapt curiosity. Raine stood beside her, tense, his eyes never straying from Maeryn. Raising a hand, the general produced a small rope of lava. Controlling the fiery cord with ease, she ran it along the floor, melting the ice.
Nodding with satisfaction, she said, “I’ll clear the path ahead, so we do not slip.”
But the moment she withdrew her magic, the ice reformed. It hadn’t stayed clear for more than a few seconds. Maeryn frowned, trying again. The ice melted, then reappeared once more. Whatever magic keeping it frozen would not allow them to work around it.
“Can’t you use vines to keep us steady?” Jareth asked.
Casimir ran a hand through his hair. The only sign he was stressed as he tried to keep his composure for the sake of the group. “There’s nothing for them to grip onto.”
The remaining fae tried their various magics. Imsel attempted to make handholds in the wall with rock, but they immediately crumbled. Gisela worked to manipulate the ice but she was unable to control it. Starlight did nothing.
With a frustrated grunt, Casimir waved everyone on. “Let’s keep going.”
They didn’t make it far before they could no longer stand upright, now sliding down the steep grade of the tunnel.
Ava’s fingers ran over the ice as she tried to grasp the polished walls, but there were absolutely no handholds. She lowered into a half squat, using her thighs to balance as she allowed herself to glide along.
Shouts echoed behind her, then cursing. More yells came before someone slammed into her back, knocking her down as the whole group toppled and slid faster, the tangled pile of bodies rushing forward.
